“Unprecedented,” “new normal,” “uncertainty,” “fear,” “all in this together.”
These are some of the emotion-packed words and phrases repeated during the extraordinary global crisis caused by the spread of the novel coronavirus.
I believe most of us are reeling from how quickly the COVID-19 situation is evolving and how quickly decisions are unfolding at the national, state and local levels. In response to these rapid-fire changes that are affecting our daily lives, we are being asked to make our own decisions as institutions and individuals about how best to cope with these circumstances not in our control.
At St. Cloud State University and other Minnesota State colleges and universities, we have two goals this semester – to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of our faculty, staff and students and to enable students to complete the spring semester and progress toward their educational goals.
St. Cloud State is responding around the clock to the decisions and directives of our state leaders and health care professionals as we care deeply about the health, safety and well-being of our faculty and staff members, our students and our St. Cloud community.
To ensure our students’ progress toward their educational goals, St. Cloud State extended its spring break through March 29 so our faculty and students can transition from face-to-face instruction to an alternative format. Classes will resume March 30 through alternative delivery formats and will remain in that format the rest of the semester.
Because residence halls are “home” for many of our students, they remain open and we are following all state and federal guidelines to ensure the safety and health of those students.
In addition, the Minnesota State system has instructed all its institutions to implement telework for all employees unless their work responsibilities require them to be on site. We will keep our services operational in ways that allow us to deliver on our priority to enable students to complete the spring semester.
We have spent the last 72 hours transitioning our employees work life so they can teach and conduct other university work from home. I am so proud of how the St. Cloud State community has risen to the challenge of adapting and changing the way we provide education and services to students!
We also have been instructed by the Minnesota State chancellor to cancel any in-person commencement ceremonies scheduled for this spring. We will, however, be identifying an alternative option that will enable students to celebrate this significant milestone in a way that follows current protocols aimed at preserving the health and safety of all in our campus community.
We have set up a number of communication channels that provide announcements daily about our operations. I am conducting virtual Town Halls to provide employees and parents with updates, and we have established a website and a COVID-19 24/7 Help Line (320-308-1588) as well.
For health care information on this rapidly evolving situation, we are advising that folks rely on getting the facts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Stearns County and Minnesota Departments of Health.
It is unfortunate current circumstances have curtailed classes and activities on campus and led to cancellations of our international educational experiences.
In light of this crisis, we have been reminded how interconnected our world is and the need for us to work together and find appropriate and safe ways to meet the needs of our students in nontraditional ways. We will stay connected and engaged with our Husky community.
To say we all are in this together is no exaggeration. It is critical to all of us to take care of ourselves, our families, our neighbors and follow the advice and guidelines offered by the medical community and local, state and national leaders.
It is also important to remember that although COVID-19 emerged initially from China, it is unfair to consider that persons of Asian descent who live among us are transmitting COVID-19.
Some of our Asian American faculty, staff and students have been fearful that they will be wrongfully singled out and discriminated against. They are no more likely to be transmitting COVID-19 than any others in our community and are no less in need of the kindness and courtesy that we all can benefit from in this time of social distancing and understandable anxiety.
In the 20 months I have been president of St. Cloud State, I have seen firsthand how our faculty and staff have responded and adapted to the changing needs of both the traditional and non-traditional students who come to us for higher education.
We will continue to be there for each other and to work through these very real challenges to carry out our responsibilities as educators and to serve our students’ academic, mental and physical well-being. We will also support the needs of our St Cloud community and be your partner and leader in how our community responds to this crisis.
Stay safe and let’s take care of each other.
